Two Chinese flight attendants were fined and will be deported from the US after being convicted of smuggling protected turtles.
They used their international stopovers in Los Angeles to smuggle spotted and box turtles to China which fetch large sums on the black market.
Chinese Eastern Airlines crew members Huaqian Qu, 41, and Renfeng Gao, 31 had pleaded guilty to smuggling charges and potentially faced a prison term of up to five years.
Prosecutors said the pair had been smuggling turtles for some time and were caught when an eagle-eyed TSA agent spotted the reptiles in Qu’s luggage at Los Angeles Airport.
The TSA agent ascertained they were illegally smuggling ‘based on his enthusiasm for turtles as a teenager’ court documents said.
The two flight attendants were attempting to smuggle a total of 45 turtles.
As well as the fine they received probation and will be booted from the US within three days
